Any athlete knows that their footwear is extremely important for their regimen. Your running shoes need to fit well and be replaced when they are too worn-in. A big part of finding the right running shoe is understanding your feet and your gait. You can often tell if you are an over or under-pronator by looking at the bottom of a worn out shoe. In knowing the way you run, and knowing the anatomy of the right running shoe for you, your running routine will be much better!
Parts of a Running Shoe
A running shoe is made up of an outsole, upper sole, and midsole. The midsole is the most important part in regards to stability and cushion. Every midsole ought to have cushioning and stability devices. Other parts of the shoe that offer additional benefits include the medial post and the shank. The medial post is helpful in controlling excessive pronation, and the shank allows the shoe to bend at the toe instead of under the arch.
The Foot Model
The term “last” actually can be applied to running shoes! A last describes a finished shoe in two separate ways: the overall shape of the shoe and how the upper sole is attached to the midsole.
The shape of a shoe can be curved, semi-curved, or straight. Curved are the lightest and least supportive of the three, while straight are the heaviest and most supportive. Straight lasted are essentially used for motion-control shoes and nowhere else. Most running shoes are semi-curved.
The construction of the shoe from the upper to the midsole determines how stiff and flexible the shoe will be. There are four types: board lasted, slip lasted, combination lasted, and strobe lasted. The latter is the most common type, as they are in the middle as far as flexibility and stiffness goes.
Overall, once you know your running style and your gait, you can go to a specialty store to find the right running shoe for your needs. The employees there can work with you and explain what shoe will work the best. If you are an avid runner, having the right running shoe is very important to prevent foot pain and injury.
Courtesy of: AAPSM